Pimp: The Story of My Life Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Nature versus Nurture. Bobby Beck's choices as Macking Youngblood and Iceberg Slim can be described as a result of an unfortunate and violent childhood, bad environment and bad parenting/role modeling. Instead of following the example of Henry Upshaw, a man he loved and wanted to be like, Beck chose to follow the example of Steve and the pimps of the Chicago underworld. Is Beck's path in life inevitable given his resentment of women, his violent handling by his father and his available options as a black man in a white, segregated world? Identify key choice points for Beck at various points in his life and his perceived alternatives.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 1, Bobby Beck's father suggests to his mother that they should leave Bobby on the steps of the Catholic church since they cannot afford him. Given the childhood violence Beck is exposed to and...